


R&R

by findtherightwords



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Reno is a brat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25005421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/findtherightwords/pseuds/findtherightwords
Summary: Leslie Kyle is a no-nonsense person with a mission for revenge; Reno Sinclair is an all-nonsense Turk who is forced into a vacation.or Reno takes a liking to Leslie, and they in the process they figure out they have a common enemy, and decide to work together to bring him down.(I suck at summaries, I promise the rest of my writing is better.Canon divergence is that Reno "chooses" to take Tseng's recommendation for some R&R)
Relationships: Leslie Kyle/Reno, Reno/Leslie Kyle
Comments: 28
Kudos: 33





	1. A New Partner

**Author's Note:**

> I partially have @boomchick to blame for my love for these two, but also Leslie and Reno are just my favourite boys, and I thought they'd be good together.   
> I hope you guys enjoy.  
> This is canon compliant up to the scene at Shinra of Tseng/Reno/Rude where Tseng tells Reno to take a vacation, and he turns it down.   
> Hope you guys enjoy.

_ “You know, Reno. I think you might be due for some R&R.”  _ Tseng had commented as the redhead laid on the couch in his office. 

Despite the fact he was covered in cuts, bruises, and bandages, and could barely move without feeling pain coursing through his body, he considered rejecting the thought. There was still work to be done, and he wasn’t about to leave these two down a man. Plus, that SOLDIER was still out there, and he wasn’t done with him yet. It seemed the boy was getting in the way of everything, so if Rude and Tseng went out, they’d be sure to run into him.

It was a silent look from Rude that kept him from passing on the offer. Even with the sunglasses, Reno could read his partner like a children’s book; he thought Tseng was right, and that Reno should take some time off.

Despite his cold turquoise glare, Rude didn’t back off. It was then that Reno let out a sigh of frustration, and pushed himself into a sitting position, ignoring his body’s protests against such actions. “Fine. If anything interesting happens, give me a buzz. I’ll be quick at getting back.” With a wink following his joke, he gave a two-finger wave and sauntered out of the room. Perhaps he’d visit Wall Market. The Turks were treated well there, and he could get into all kinds of trouble. Plus he didn’t feel like dealing with the prissy topside folks – they weren’t nearly as fun as the chaos down in Wall Market.

– 

Wall Market had been… strange to say the least since the don disappeared. A lot of people were left with no idea what to do, which meant eyes turned to Leslie, his right-hand man. No one but Andrea knew his true feelings about his boss, and not even he knew that Leslie had gotten painfully close to killing him. He should have pulled the trigger faster, but he was too slow, and not discreet enough. 

It had been his intention to leave the Sector Six slums after helping Cloud and company get topside. The problem was that he had no idea where to look. The don’s whole life was in Wall Market, where could he go? He couldn’t go crawling off to Shinra, they’d shoot him on sight. If he had any other place to go outside Midgar, Leslie didn’t know where it was. 

That was why he returned. The don had left pretty abruptly so Leslie was hoping that he’d left some trails, some clues, _something_ to go off of. It was taking more time than expected to look through everything in the Corneo mansion, and during that time he was acting as the temporary king of Wall Market; a position he didn’t want. He let the Trio pretty much do as they pleased. They knew how to run their businesses just fine, he just wasn’t planning to come once a month to collect the don’s cut of their profits. The Colosseum could continue as it pleased, he didn’t care and it brought some revenue in. He’d need the money if he was going to end up travelling. Leslie considered selling the mansion after he left but also thought about changing it into something useful. Perhaps he’d leave it to Andrea, let him do with it what he pleased.

The stress of the job thrust upon him had him seeking any kind of relief with alcohol at the local bar. Most people preferred the Honeybee Inn for the company of the waiters and waitresses dressed in their bee costumes, but it was the last place Leslie wanted to be. The small bar was perfectly fine, and it was much easier to keep his head down. He’d shed the black leather jacket he’d received from Corneo, and his hat hid the majority of his unkempt silver hair. 

It was the shock of bright red hair that spiked out in every which way that caused him to pause at the door. Unlike Leslie, the Turks had no reason to conceal their identity. Everyone was too afraid of getting into trouble with Shinra to cause them much grief, and those who didn’t shy away from the company of the Turks usually spent the time kissing their asses. Wall Market was a power play: get in good with those in power, and maybe you’d get something out of it. It was why so many people kissed up to the don, despite how disgusting, misogynistic, perverted, greedy, and just generally horrible he was. 

If his surprise at Reno being in Wall Market wasn’t enough, he caught sight of a large bandage on his cheek when his face caught what little light there was as he downed a glass of what Leslie guessed would be whiskey. 

With a sigh, he decided he should say something. If Reno realised that Leslie was there, he’d know he intentionally ignored the Turk, and Reno wasn’t very good about being ignored. 

Making his way over, Leslie sat down in the empty seat to his left side. “You look like shit,” he commented, having no problem giving people of power a bit of lip.

If Reno minded, he didn’t show it. He smirked and lifted his nearly empty glass. “Comes with the job.” Finishing the last bit of his drink, he caught the eye of the bartender and gave a small motion to request a refill. “Didn’t know you drank. You even old enough?” he teased, winking over at Leslie, who just rolled his eyes in response.

“Doesn’t really matter in Wall Market, does it?” It was a lawless town, and Leslie was a criminal. Underage drinking was the least of either of their worries. He had no idea how old Reno was, or even if he was legal, but he didn’t imagine Reno knew his age either. 

They were both quiet for a moment while the bartender filled his glass with another three fingers of whiskey and poured a vodka soda for Leslie, disappearing to take care of the other patrons without a word. 

Reno’s smirk returned as he glanced over at Leslie, sipping his drink. “See you finally ditched that tacky jacket. Heard the don’s run off hiding.”

“Yep.” It was a simple answer, and he didn’t care for elaborating. He sipped his own drink, hoping it would weaken the headache that had been his constant companion for who knows how long. 

“Don’t suppose you know where he’s run off to, do ya?” he playfully batted his eyelashes, flashing those bright eyes at him in attempts to be charming. Or at least endearing. 

Leslie simply glanced at him, remaining silent. 

Setting his glass on the bar, Reno held up his hands in mock surrender. “I know, I know. You’re his right hand, and you wouldn’t have gotten that position if you were willing to give him up so easily.” His head tilted to the side like a curious puppy. “Though you’ve abandoned his colours and insignia... Maybe not as loyal as you pretend to be?”

Pursing his lips, he kept his eyes on the Turk. “Is that why you’re down here, then? Looking for the don?” he asked, his tone exhausted. 

“Actually, no. This is my vacation. As you so kindly observed, I’m not exactly in the shape for combat.” 

Leslie snorted outright, not caring if it was impolite. Perhaps if it was Rude or Tseng he’d have a little more of a business attitude, but Reno wasn’t them and this wasn’t business. “Didn’t think you did vacation. Especially not solo, or down here in the slums.” 

It was the first time Reno actually looked mildly annoyed, and he took a long drink. “Rude got out a bit better than I did,” he admittedly, although his volume dropped enough that even Leslie would’ve missed it if he wasn’t listening for his reply. “Besides, Topside bars are so much more uptight and boring. Less of a chance to watch a fight break out... And our civilians don’t run around as scantily clad as those around here.”

He couldn’t help the smirk that played at the corners of his lips. “Oh, so it’s that you fit in better,” he teased lightly, glancing at the fact Reno all but wore his shirt and suit jacket entirely unbuttoned. 

The annoyance disappeared and he grinned. “So you get me more than you let on.” He bumped their shoulders together and then hissed, showing he regretted the action. “You’re not exactly a saint yourself,” he commented, trying to cover up his pain, but Leslie could hear the strain. Still, his eyes lingered to the low neckline of his t-shirt before meeting his eyes.

Shaking his head, it was Leslie’s turn to take a long drink. He was meant to be getting away from his problems, not adding more. He could hold out hope that Reno was being honest and really was just there for vacation, but what did a Turks’ vacation include? Drinking at bars, watching dances at the Honeybee Inn and sleeping in? Or did they cause chaos? Taking a look at him, it didn’t look like he was in any state to cause chaos. “You seem more like you should be resting, rather than out and about.”

If Reno was phased, he didn’t show it. His smirk stayed firmly on his lips. “Yeah? You offering to play nurse, Les?”

Leslie didn’t know why he expected anything different. Serious conversations were rare, and it was likely why he’d been paired with Rude – so things could get done. “Can’t say it’s my area of expertise.” 

“Guessing your lack of an answer is an answer on knowing where Don has gone off to?” 

Downing the remains of his drink, he considered his words. “Haven’t a single clue where he is. I lost the  _ privilege  _ of being his confidant when I tried to put a bullet into his skull.” 

There was no way to have prepared himself for trying to mask his surprise. His lips parted and he started at Leslie as if trying to figure out if he was joking or not. “You’re serious?” he asked after a moment.

“Completely,” he deadpanned. 

For once, Reno was speechless and just continued to stare at his companion in shock. It had been half a year since Leslie became the person the Turks dealt with, rather than Don himself. And for six months before that, the silver-haired boy was constantly around. A year, at the very least, that Leslie gave his allegiance to Don Corneo, and now he was talking about trying to kill him.

It didn’t even seem like Reno noticed the bartender make her way back over, this time getting a shot of tequila when Leslie requested it. It didn’t last long, as he was quick to down it. Thankfully, it started to have an effect. 

He seemed to finally recover. “The fuck did the don do to warrant your wrath?” 

“Personal matters that I’d rather not talk about.” It was painfully honest, which felt dangerous with who his company was, a man who took few things seriously. 

It was a miracle that he just shrugged it off. “Well, you want him dead, and Shinra wants him for some... Questions. What’s say we lend each other a hand? We work together to find him, I take care of the work for Shinra, and then when we’re done, you can finish what you started.” 

This night was going nothing like what Leslie was expecting; didn’t expect to find a Turk, didn’t expect to have a lengthy conversation and a drink with said Turk, and definitely didn’t expect to be getting a business offer. It was an appealing offer, having help, especially from the people who were supposed to know most things that went on in Midgar, but this was also extremely personal to him. Would Reno keep good on his word to allow him the final blow? What if Shinra decided they wanted him for more questioning, and then to eliminate him themselves? There were a lot of variables to consider with this offer. “When you say vacation, does that mean you’ll be here in the morning?” 

Red brows quirked. “Yeah?”

“Come to Corneo’s mansion at noon. I’ll have an answer for you then.” 

Leslie didn’t wait for a reply, he tossed some gil on the bar, got up, and made his way out. 


	2. Down to Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie makes a deal he hopes he doesn't regret.

Leslie got little to no sleep that night. His mind wouldn’t shut off, and he opted against turning to even more alcohol. Showing up hungover, no matter what his answer, wouldn’t be a good look. 

He was used to running on short hours, or sometimes even none at all. Especially after what happened with Merle. His failed attempt to kill Corneo made it worse. If the regret for missing his opportunity was bad during the day, it was even almost unbearable when he was unconscious. It was likely a contributing factor as to why he didn’t sleep — fear. Fear for what his sick, twisted nightmare his mind would concoct that night. He’d never admit to feeling fear, especially of nightmares, but that lack of confession didn’t make it any less real. 

The pros and cons of his options teeter-tottered in his head. 

Pros: assistance in finding Corneo, thus another pair of eyes to look over what he had and maybe catch anything he missed. Plus it would speed up the process; getting in Shinra’s good graces, which wasn’t a bad place to be, especially after Corneo fucked up and fell out of them; Shinra’s funding, which meant endless resources to help them find him; he also knew that Reno was a skilled pilot, particularly with helicopters, so transportation would go quickly.

Cons: dealing with Reno for an undetermined around of time, which was bound to drive him up the wall (but was Reno worse than Corneo, who he’d worked for “loyally” for over a year?); lack of trust in Shinra to follow their word and allow Leslie the final shot… would they really grant him killing him? What if there was a reason they wanted him alive? 

The con list was painfully short, though the one true con of the two came with a lot of weight. Still, he reminded himself that there was a chance Shinra or someone else (Cloud & co came to mind) might find him first and murder him themselves otherwise.

So Leslie had his answer.

Fuck.

—

Noon was not an hour to be considered early, but with a lack of sleep and dread filling his chest made it feel like it was far too early. He was grateful for the strong cup of coffee that accompanied him to the meeting spot. Reno seemed unbothered by the hour and looked slightly less terrible than the day before. The bruising that had been nearly black was turning purple with an outer band of yellow. The cuts no longer looked fresh. He still sported several bandages that Leslie suspected were concealing the worse-looking wounds, but he also looked rested. 

“Afternoon.” Reno greeted, cheerful as ever. 

Taking a sip of his coffee, he nodded for Reno to follow him across the bridge. Wordless, he held the to-go cup out for him to hold while he fished his keys out of his pocket, and worked on unlocking the many different doors and gates that led into the mansion. Reno held no shame in stealing a sip from the cup he’d been handed. The look of annoyance Leslie gave him didn’t hold it’s normal weight, and he would  _ never _ admit the cheeky grin Reno gave him in return was cute. Ushering him inside, he shut the door behind them and plucked the cup back, taking a long drink.

“Ooh, should I take the fact I’ve been invited inside as a sign?” He asked, all but bouncing in excitement. He was definitely the older of the two, but he didn’t act like it. Anyone who didn’t know the two boys would think the redhead was the younger one. 

Leslie sighed. He had a feeling he was going to regret this… “I want it written that if I help you find him, once you’re done with questioning him, I get to be the one to finish him off. If Shinra gives him a death sentence, fine, I’ll be the one to execute it.” It was a half-answer. The Turk would be smart enough to know that these final negations meant that Leslie was planning to agree. 

If possible, Reno’s grin widened. “I’ll have a signed statement by the end of the afternoon.” 

He knew he was incredibly serious. Shinra was nothing if not efficient. “I’m assuming you’ve already spoken to your bosses about it?” 

“Yep! Told ‘em you’re the real no-nonsense type, and probably wouldn’t be very trusting,” he answered. It was mildly annoying that Reno seemed to know him that well. “You need that slip of paper before we get started?” 

Leslie glanced at the clock on the wall, not that much time had passed. It was just after noon. “Call it in to have it worked on, and then we can get started.” It would be better than whatever else Reno would recommend to pass the time.

“Got it.” With a wink, he stepped off to make his phone call. Despite his lack of trust, Leslie made no attempt to listen in. Maybe it was the fact it would have been painfully easy to do so that made him feel comfortable with tuning out the short phone call. “Paperwork officially in progress. Where do we start?”

With a motion to follow, he led Reno into a room that stored all the paperwork. There were an obscene amount of cabinets, all filled with various files. Some were payment stubs or financial information on anything that went on in Wall Market, some his twisted forms of blackmail or “souvenirs” from nights with his brides, and there were full files on anyone who worked for him. Leslie had already burnt his file. There was still so much more to go through, and he was only one person. He skimmed what he could, but he didn’t want to miss anything either. “If he’s got any information, personal or otherwise, besides here I don’t know about it. So it’s just been a search for leads in all of this.” The sewers had been checked. There wasn’t any paperwork in his hiding spots, just treasure. 

“Geez. Looks like you need my help…” Reno muttered and was almost serious. 

Finishing off the last bit of his coffee, he tossed it in the nearby trash. “It’s a lot to go through,” he agreed, the closest he’d come to admitting that he was right. “I’ve got no leads. I’ve searched the sewers, including the secret spots he had. Some of his more prized possessions are missing, which I assume were taken with him for extra cash. Beyond that,” he paused and motioned to room before them, “we get to look and see if we can find any ideas for where he might have gone.” There was no guarantee that he’d stay in Midgar. In fact, it was probably more likely that he’d left the city altogether. Don had expressed concern about not surviving the week because of being on Shinra’s shitlist. 

“Mm. Fantastic…” Reno muttered sarcastically. 

The two got to work, going through the next section of files Leslie had, slowly working his way from one side of the office to the next. As he found the personal finals of all his “brides”, he worked on getting rid of them, and refused to linger on the file tabbed “Merle.” Especially with Reno present. They weren’t destroying them, at least not for the moment, just getting set aside, so if the desire became overwhelming, he could go look it over at a later date. Alone. 

They’d managed their way through an entire filing cabinet when Leslie heard a quiet “dammit” come from the other side of the room. Glancing over, he noticed blood trickling down Reno’s arm. Based on the fact it was coming from underneath the rolled-up sleeves of his suit, he assumed that it was a wound that had reopened. 

Not waiting for an actual comment, Leslie set the stack down. “C’mon, there’s a bathroom down the hall,” he said, leaving the room without looking to see if he was being followed. It was an unspoken understanding that Leslie was intending to help re-patch him up.

Going into the spacious and luxurious looking guest bathroom, Reno slipped out of his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeve to his shirt even further, leaning against the sparkling counter. He looked over the cut just below his elbow that had reopened from moving around, hissing a little at the pain that coursed through him as he dabbed at it. 

“Don’t poke at it,” Leslie scolded, getting out some first aid equipment. Removing the old bandage, he started with some alcohol, he used it to clean the wound to be on the safe side. “Sorry,” he mumbled as there was a sharper hiss that came from the sting of the alcohol. 

“Well, you’re cuter than a lot of Shinra’s nurses, I’ll give you that,” Reno teased lightly as Leslie worked on cleaning him up. 

Leslie barely gave him a glance, and definitely didn’t dignify it with a response. He’d decently behaved while they worked thus far, maybe if he didn’t encourage this behaviour, it’d continue. 

“How come you’re not stayin’ here? Big, fancy, plenty of space so you don’t have to be all up where the don was doing his naughty business,” he tried making casual talk this time, more appropriate at least. 

Deciding to indulge him this time, he gave an honest answer. “I’ve never been keen on staying here. In the beginning, perhaps, when I was young and everything was bright and shiny. But once I learned what cost it came at, I decided it was better to have my own apartment. The don didn’t care, so long as I was around when needed.” Most of his goons loved any invitations to stay in the large mansion, but most of them didn’t have a moral compass. Or a brain, period.

“Suppose that makes sense. Even if it does seem pretty cosy, despite its skeletons.” Reno was watching Leslie work. “Besides, it means you get extra privacy.” He smirked salaciously. 

Again, he didn’t dignify it with any kind of decent response. “You cleaned or changed any of these recently?” They were fresh wounds, and he assumed whatever had caused them was the reason for his vacation. 

“Uh… it’s been a minute,” he admitted, his smile sheepish. 

Leslie rolled his eyes and finished bandaging up the first, before tilting Reno’s chin up with his finger, gently taking off the square patch on his cheek. “Don’t get used to this,” he commented when he saw a small glint in the turquoise eyes. 

“You’re very cute, but your bedside manners are abysmal,” he teased.

“My bedside manners are just fine. My counter-side manners are more questionable.” He couldn’t help the bits of sarcasm that came out naturally. He knew it was better not to encourage Reno’s antics, but sometimes the responses were too easy to pass up on. 

It had made Reno laugh, still. “I’ll spare you what’s coming to my mind right now, Kyle.” Leslie kept his eyes off Reno’s, focusing on cleaning the scrape on his cheek. “Where did you learn to do this anyway? The don have you cleaning up after his girls tossed him around?”

Leslie shook his head, turning to get a bandage similar to the one he’d already had on. “It’s not exactly the safest job in the world. And sometimes people wanna pick a fight. It’s good to know how to patch yourself up if you live in Wall Market.” He’d patched himself up enough times and assisted any newbies that got roughed up by the more veteran lackeys. 

“Handy.” 

Placing the bandaid over the wound on his cheeks, he pursed his lips a bit. Some of the locations were more compromised locations, particularly showing through his open shirt, and he wondered if they could get through it without Reno making all sorts of comments and innuendos. “Think you can manage to behave yourself for five minutes while I finish these up?” 

It was as if Reno placed all his dramatics into one word, accompanied with a big sigh: “ _ Fine _ .”

“Rude is a saint for putting up with you as often as he does,” he muttered as he turned to get out more materials, throwing away what he was done with. 

Reno snorted and shifted to properly sit on the counter. “I’ll pass your sympathies on next time I talk to him.”

“Maybe he’ll offer to trade places with you.” He was teasing, which was evident even with his dry tone. He was often exasperated and exhausted by Reno, but he didn’t genuinely dislike him. Perhaps he had a high tolerance for people who gave him headaches. He wouldn’t particularly call him a friend, but they were friendly acquaintances, and in a way, business partners. Especially now. 

“Aw, you’d miss me and be begging me to come back within a few hours.” His response lost some of its weight when he took in a sharp breath. He hadn’t been paying attention to what Leslie was actually doing, so the sting of alcohol against one of his cuts was unexpected. 

Despite the brattiness, he couldn’t help the fact the corners of his lips quirked a bit. “Would it even do me any good to ask what you were doing that caused this?” He asked. He didn’t work for Shinra, even now he was just acting as an informant and giving assistance to find Don. He didn’t know if he’d be classified to hear whatever mission caused Reno so many injuries.

Reno sobered at that question. “Nothin’ you’d approve of. Nothing *I* approve of, but what I approve of doesn’t matter…” his pursed lips only tightened at the sting of more alcohol. 

“Your point? I don’t approve of a lot of stuff I’ve done over the past year, or things the other boys or Don have done. It’s not a feeling I’m unused to.” Despite their company, and their partnership with the don, he didn’t particularly count either Rude or Reno as bad people. They had to bad things, sure, but he knew exactly how that felt. Leslie had his limits, of course; he never took part in the “leftover” girls like Scotch and Kotch, in fact, he found it downright deserved when they got their asses handed to them by Aerith and Tifa. How they viewed girls was vile and disgusting. It was part of why he chose to have his own place - he didn’t need to hear about the bullshit they got up to or any of the girls they forced themselves onto. 

“Did you hear about the plate falling on Sector Seven?”

“Yeah.” He had. The don had been the one to inform Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith about Shinra’s plan to do it in the first place. Based on what he understood, it was the three of them that tried to intervene, which was what caused the don to land on Shinra’s shitlist. 

Careful not to get in the way of Leslie’s work, Reno lifted a hand gently. “Was my mission. Didn’t exactly go gently.” 

Did that mean the people who saved his life were the reason that Reno was like this? He supposed it wasn’t surprising, he was pretty sure at least a few of them were from Seven, and they were involved with Avalanche. Evidently, he was stuck between two clashing sides. 

“You look more pensive than usual. Told you that you wouldn’t approve.” If Leslie didn’t know better, he would have thought that Reno was actually nervous. 

He waved his hand dismissively before picking up another bandage. “Not about that. Don’t worry about it.” 

“Aww, but now I’m curious what has you all extra serious.” The light mood had returned. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to get premature wrinkles.” A finger came up to rest between Leslie’s brows that relaxed when he realised they were furrowed. 

Finishing up with the last bandage, he cleaned up the wrappings and put away the alcohol. “Trust me, not something you want to hear about.”

If Reno had any intentions of slipping off the counter any time soon, he didn’t show it. Even when his companion moved next to him to wash off his hands. “Did you do something  _ I _ wouldn’t approve of?” 

Sighing, Leslie knew Reno wouldn’t be giving up on finding it out anytime soon. “I suppose it was Avalanche that caused the issues for you?”

“Of course. Not that we were surprised. They like getting in the way.” 

He tried to decide just how honest he wanted to be about his involvement with them. They seemed to be doing this whole honesty thing, so he supposed he could keep up with it. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the don was the reason they had that information. They’re also the reason he didn’t get the chance to kill me.” 

Reno only rose his brows at that, prompting him to continue.

“They came back after, tried to see if Corneo knew a way to get topside. I agreed to help them, on the condition that they help me with taking care of Corneo.” He shrugged, a long breath coming from his lips. The weight of his failure was still a heavy one. “Wasn’t quick enough to fire, wasn’t discreet enough, and he disarmed me. They stepped in. Woulda finished the job if Corneo hadn’t released a monster to distract us all.” 

“Oh.” It wasn’t a word that held any weight. It wasn’t an  _ oh _ oh. Its flippancy was only further proven when Reno continued. “That’s it? Not exactly news, you working with shady folk, Les.” 

He supposed it was fair enough. The Turks themselves operated on a very grey area, and someone who was their enemy one day could be their ally the next. Corneo was a good example of that. If Avalanche made themselves useful, they’d probably work alongside them. He shrugged. “We should go back to work. Files aren’t going to sort themselves.”

“Wouldn’t that be somethin’?” he hopped off the counter and followed him back down the hall to the office.

If that had been the case, Leslie wouldn’t particularly need help. At least not this early. Still, it was good to have some kind of company, even if that company made his head ache at times. “Didn’t take you for the type to shy away from hard work,” he commented, pushing the door to the office open and ushered him in, following in after. 

There was a glint in his eyes that spoke volumes about the reply he actually wanted to make. “Didn’t say I wouldn’t do it,” came his tamer reply. 

“Good.” With the distraction of playing medic gone, the two got back to work. 

It wasn’t long before the chiming of a phone drew their attention away from the files before them, and Leslie was able to deduce that it wasn’t his by the ringtone. Glancing over to Reno, the redhead fished it from his pants pocket, checking the caller ID before answering.

“Sup, boss?” There was a pause while he listened. “Lemme ask.” He turned his bright eyes over to meet Leslie’s. “Paperwork is done. Where do you want it sent?” 

“They should know the code to send it directly here.” Information wasn’t always given in person, and there were times when they needed paperwork sent back and forth. It’d be odder if they didn’t have it. 

Nodding, Reno turned his attention back to the call. “Didya hear that?... Yep, will do.” He hung up, dropping it back into his pocket. “It’ll be here so—“ his words were cut off by the sound of the fax machine kicking into gear. “Soon.” He finished, smirking for the sake of comedy.

Setting his current work aside, he went over to retrieve the papers that came from the machine. His eyes scanned over them, making sure there weren’t any issues, and that the details were clear. The last thing he wanted was for there to be any loopholes or workarounds. His time with the don may not have been a great time, but it still taught him a lot. 

“Everything look good?” Reno asked, coming over to peer over his shoulder. Perhaps a bit too close for most people’s comfort. 

Finishing off the last page, he saw Tseng’s signature at the bottom and a spot for Leslie’s. Giving it another once-over, he picked up a pen and signed in the appropriate location. “No turning back now,” he said, sending the last page through the fax so they’d have a copy as well. “Hand me the stapler?” Once Reno retrieved it from the other side of the desk and handed it over, he stapled the pieces together, folding it up carefully and slipped it into his pocket. “Back to work.”

“All work with you,” he teased, bumping their shoulders together, but nevertheless turned his attention back to the files he’d abandoned for the call. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your positive reception on the first part. I know this fandom is small, especially with unconventional ships, but you guys have been great.  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
> Kudos make my day, comments make my week.


	3. Files

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Reno find themselves buried in paperwork, trying to find any lead.

Despite his complaints of work, Reno showed his worth ethic. Leslie knew that it wasn’t easy or enjoyable work. The majority of the content was boring, a lot of payment items or information on the people of Wall Market. Unfortunately, it wasn’t stuff that could skip over, in case something included any clues. Particularly in all the financial information. Thus far, everything was either Shinra or Wall Market related. 

They’d managed to clear another filing cabinet, and the boxes around them of useless information were growing. Most of them would be shredded and thrown out, if not outright burned. He was finding himself tempted to put some of the money back into the communities that weren’t doing well. Perhaps into Sector Seven, but that was information he kept to himself. He didn’t blame Reno for being involved, it was his job, but he’d been right: Leslie didn’t approve of it. Punishing the masses to send a message to Avalanche didn’t seem like the way to handle it. 

Leslie started a new cabinet, a bit surprised when he saw a separating tab labelled “Shinra.” He’d already gone through an obscene amount of paperwork and pay stubs from them. When he pulled it out, he realised what it was by the sub-tabs: Tseng, Reno, Rude, and a few other names he recognised. These were files on all the people from Shinra that he worked with. “Reno,” he called attention to his companion, who looked up at his name. “Better for you to look through these,” he said, offering them over. He didn’t know what was on them, but there had been a lot of personal stuff in his own file. He didn’t want to invade privacy, especially if he’d be working with Reno for the foreseeable future. 

It took him a moment to realise what they were, and when Reno opened the file with his own name on it, his brows furrowed a bit. His eyes scanned the page, taking it all in. “Your boss was a real creep, you know?” He asked, lifting his eyes to meet the gold ones watching him.

Leslie laughed without humour. “Fully aware.” As he went through everything, he was only figuring it out more. Every time he thought Don Corneo couldn’t get any worse, he proved him wrong. 

“I don’t even know how he got some of this information. I don’t even know if Shinra’s background check on me is this extensive…” It was his facial expression a few moments later that communicated the latter comment was likely untrue. 

Going over to the fireplace in the room, he grabbed the matches sitting on it and struck it, tossing the match in to start a larger fire. 

The fire caught Reno’s attention and he looked over, before turning his attention back to Leslie, a questioning expression on his face. 

“It’s how I got rid of mine,” he answered the unspoken question with a shrug. 

Looking down at the files in his hand, he made his way over and tossed his own in first. Once it caught fire, he followed the same pattern with the others, not even bothering to look at them beyond their names. Shady company or not, it was clear that Reno respected those he worked with. When they were charred beyond repair, he turned back to Leslie, who’d gone back to the drawer. “Thanks,” Reno murmured sincerely, going back to his own work.

Leslie didn’t know if there were things in them that he’d rather people not find out about, or if it was just the gesture of not looking into it that Reno was thanking him for. Either way, he shrugged it off. “No problem.” 

Their work didn’t produce much other than eliminating different draws and cabinets. They only paused to either go get food, or have it brought in. It was their yawns and heavy eyes that forced them to quit for the day. Despite the late hour, nearly midnight, Leslie didn’t have any worries about Reno getting back to his hotel alright. Injured or not, he knew full well that Reno was able to take care of himself. If anyone even dared to attempt to bother him. Wall Market’s citizens could be incredibly stupid at times, but the mass majority would be smart enough not to give a Turk any trouble. They split ways after making plans to meet the following day. 

–

The only productivity that followed that morning was completing the process of going through the office. Everything had been looked through, and nothing had produced any leads. There were no payments to or from anywhere unexpected, no personal notes, no business deals. It seemed like it was largely a huge waste of time. It did help to have Reno since it sped things along. 

“Any family you know of?” Reno asked as they sat in Leslie’s kitchen, eating takeout. Neither had any semblance of energy to cook.

He shook his head. “None that I’m aware of.” Sipping his drink, he thought through different options. “Any idea if you could get your hands on Shinra’s file on him? If he had stuff we didn’t know how he obtained, maybe they have more information than we do.” 

He shrugged. “I assume they’d let me know if there was anything helpful, but I can ask? Maybe they didn’t think something was relevant, but it’ll mean something to you.” 

Leslie sighed, taking his hat off long enough to run his fingers through his hair. “It’s worth a shot.” Even if it was another waste of time, it was another resource they could check off. “Apart from Avalanche, any enemies of Shinra?” 

“Wutai is the main one that comes to mind. But there are also rumours going around that they’re working alongside Avalanche.” It was easy to tell that Reno was frustrated. He was better behaved and more serious. Leslie wondered how long it would last. 

He glanced at him. “Are they?”

“Not that we have any reason to believe. But the rumours may be enough to deter him from going since you said he had issues with them as well.” 

Leslie shrugged. “I’m not sure. I mean, I think he’s under the impression that they were either killed by Abzu, or are more concerned with Shinra and stuff here in Midgar.” 

Leaning back in his chair, Reno took a drink. “Gods, I wish this was whiskey…” he mumbled, and Leslie couldn’t help his smile. “You’re sure he moved out of the sewers?”

“Mmhm. Checked, and all his stuff down there is gone. I don’t think he’s in Midgar. He was too worried about you guys finding him and killing him.” It was a fair concern, given when their current mission was. 

Reno smirked. Apparently, the frustration and serious mood didn’t last long at all. “What about topside? With the stuff he took, he could sell it, have plenty of money to fund a life up there. Out in the further sectors, anyone who worked for Shinra wouldn’t recognise him. We want him, but he’s not on our Top Ten list or anything.” Yet here he was, actively looking for Corneo when he was supposed to be on vacation. Clearly, vacation didn’t suit Reno.

He considered it. Corneo in a disguise, trying to lie low, blend in… He couldn’t picture it. He shook his head after a moment. “Nah. Trying to hide out, pretend to be someone else, someone unimportant… he wouldn’t even last a week.”

“So we’re back to Wutai as our only potential lead.” 

Getting up, Leslie cleaned up the table from lunch, needing to do something with his hands. “Still not fully convinced about it being Wutai, but I’m open to being wrong.”

“Let me see if I can get the file. We can go through it, and if nothing jumps out at us, we can check out Wutai.” Reno got up, getting his phone out. Once Leslie nodded, he went out into the living room to take the call. 

Leslie’s apartment wasn’t big, by any means. He could almost clearly hear Reno talking in the living room. He never needed anything big, since it was only ever him. Perhaps if things had worked out with Merle, he would have upgraded, but they hadn’t gotten to the point of moving in together. That was going to happen after they figured out how to be public about their relationship. Long-term relationships weren’t really something that had been approved of when working with the don; while being in one wouldn’t be enough to get someone fired, it would come with scrutiny. And if the don took a liking to the girl… they’d be expected to hand them over. Leslie hadn’t even had to get to the point of telling anyone about him and Merle. Don found her himself and decided she was what he wanted for the night. 

It was why he’d given her an expensive necklace, with a symbol of love on it. Far more discreet than an engagement ring. 

Maybe one day, once this was all over, he’d be able to go and find her. He just needed the don dead first. He wouldn’t put her in any more danger. 

Leslie was pulled from his thoughts when Reno came back. “Do you want them sent to the mansion as well?” He asked.

“Sure. Don’t have a fax here.” 

Reno nodded, listening on the other line. “It’ll be waiting for us when we get there.” With a quick thanks to the person on the phone, he hung up. 

“Let’s hope this has something a bit more helpful,” he murmured, reaching over to pick up his keys, and led the way out of the apartment. 

Leslie’s apartment wasn’t far from the mansion, a requirement since he’d been Don’s right-hand-man. If Don was going to call him while he was at home, he’d be expected to be there nearly as quick as if he was staying at the mansion itself. 

Unlocking the door, they made their way back into the office where the papers from the file were waiting for them. “Dunno about you, but I’m tired of being in this office,” he murmured as he picked up the papers. 

“Couldn’t agree more… lead the way to  _ anywhere _ else,” he muttered.

With anyone but the handful Reno was, Leslie might’ve taken that as an opportunity to joke about going to the bedroom then, for shock and gross value. But with Reno, he’d likely take it an entirely different way. So he opted to leave that comment unsaid. Leading them up the stairs, he went to the more formal office setting where the girls were brought for the auditions. It was one of the nicer rooms in the mansion, and it had large plush couches on either side. Picking one of them, he sat down, looking through the papers. 

Reno, ever the person to ignore personal space, plopped down next to him and read over his shoulder. “Okay, Donny Boy, let’s see just how much of a creep you are…” he murmured. 

As he scanned each page, Leslie handed them over to the Turk, in case he wanted to look over them in more detail. Reno kept up fairly well, setting them to the side and continued to read over his shoulder. “I didn’t realise just how involved with Shinra that he was…”

“Me neither. Knew he supplied information, but based on this, it looks like Shinra basically  _ made _ Don Corneo who he was,” Reno agreed. 

“Well, funded him. Don’t think we can blame them for how much of a lecherous ass he was, but they gave him the means to act on it all.” A year ago, Leslie would have never spoken so negatively about the don. He had a lot of respect for him, in the beginning. It wasn’t even just Merle that caused him to lose that respect. It was seeing the man behind the curtain, all the skeletons in the closet, understanding how Don got to where he was. Most people who worked for the don didn’t have enough of a moral compass to care, they were often just as bad. Leslie had just gotten in deep, and there were only two ways out - die, or kill. 

He shrugged, still reading over the papers. “Born and raised here in Midgar, no known family, Wall Market pretty much was his life… anything sticking out to you?” 

Looking over the papers some more, Leslie shook his head, tossing them on the table in front of them. “Nothing useful.” Looking over to the man still hovering over his shoulder, he pursed his lips. “Guess Wutai then?” 

There was a small pause, bright blue-green eyes looking over his face, and he was surprisingly quiet for a moment. He seemed to be contemplating something, and it was a look that put Leslie on edge. Whatever trance Reno was under broke, and he batted Leslie’s hat off, grin returning. “Yep. You’re so gonna get an  _ I told you so _ if I end up being right.” He ruffled the already messy silver hair before pushing up, getting off the couch.

Leslie had absolutely zero idea what had just happened, but he tried not to dwell on it. Picking his hat up from where it fell, he tried to fix his hair as best as he could, putting his cap back on. “If it means we find him and he ends up dead, I’ll accept it without complaint.” 

“I’ll put in a request for a chopper. Do you know how to get topside? Or should I figure out a place down here to pick you up?” He was practically bouncing, seemingly happy to do something to do finally. 

“I can get topside without a problem.” He’d shown the others how to do it and kept a grappling hook for himself as well. If he wanted to come back to Wall Market, he’d have to figure out how, but that was a concern for a different day. 

Reno pulled out his phone and offered it to him. “Don’t actually have your contact info. I’ll let you know the time and place.” 

Taking the phone, Leslie put his contact info in and gave it back. “Be careful getting back.” It was strange, expressing any kind of concern for the Turk. Especially since he was, in fact, a Turk. He could handle himself plenty well, but the sentiment was still there.

He grinned more. “Aw, it’s cute, you’re worried about me. I’ll be fine, I’ll arrange a pickup. Besides…” With a flick of his hand, he pulled out his electro-rod, extending it out. With a press of a button, the tip sparked, “if anyone or anything tries to get in my way, I’ll fry ‘em.”

Leslie shook his head a little at the dramatics, despite feeling a bit amused, and admittedly, relieved. “I told you, don’t get used to me playing nurse. So don’t be too reckless.” 

Waving his hand, Reno headed for the door. “Yeah, yeah. Pack a bag and get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 


	4. Flight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys set off for Wutai.

Packing a bag knowing he’d be leaving Wall Market the following day was a strange feeling. Not just Wall Market; all of Midgar. He’d been born and raised in the city, never stepping outside its boundaries. He couldn’t even remember the last time he really left Wall Market. Far too long was likely the answer. 

He’d sent a message to Andrea to let him know he’d be going out of town for a little bit. The owner of the Honeybee Inn was one of the few people he actually trusted in this godforsaken town. Calling him a father figure would be a bit too much (not to mention the fact Andrea would abhor the idea), but a cool uncle would probably be apt. He tried to be a mentor of sorts, at the very least. A better one that Don Corneo had ever been to him. Despite Andrea’s attempts to get him to take up employment at the Inn. Leslie always refused without hesitation. Respect for Andrea or not, there’d be absolutely no way he’d ever get in one of the Honeybee costumes. 

He couldn’t help but remember Cloud in the dress and bit back a smile as he packed up his clothes. Tifa must have meant a great deal to Cloud for him to allow Andrea to dress him up. She seemed like a decent girl. 

Shaking it off, Leslie put the members of Avalanche out of his head as he finished packing anything else he might need. He didn’t know how long they’d be gone, but he tried to maintain some balance between packing light and having what he needed.

Placing a few extra boxes of bullets in the bag, he closed it up and settled down for sleep. He put his gun on the bedside table next to him, and let out a breath. He was determined to use it to end the don’s life. Hopefully soon. 

It was another restless night, Leslie going through all sorts of scenarios in his head, ranging from realistic to ludacris: Reno opting not to show, having more issues getting topside than he believed, mechanical errors with the helicopter, getting to Wutai and finding it was a dead lead...There was also the knowledge that Shinra and Wutai were enemies, and he’d be going in a Shinra helicopter with a Turk. He was sure that alone was going to cause issues. He didn’t know how tense the situation was, or particularly anything about Wutai, but he was trying to have faith in Reno not to jump into something that should have more planning. Was that stupid? Probably. 

Leslie must have finally fallen asleep at some point because it was his phone chiming that woke him. Reaching over, he grabbed it and looked at it through bleary eyes. He saw it was a phone call and swiped along the bottom of his screen to answer it. “Hello?” His voice was hoarse, and he could tell how sleepy he sounded.

“Morning, Sunshine. Did I wake you?” Reno’s voice came from the other side, not that he was surprised. There were few people to call him, and any of them would be in his contacts already. 

Yawning, he pushed himself to sit up and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, but it’s fine.” He doubted that it was just a call for pleasantries, given the plans for the day. He probably wanted to confirm that Leslie received the information. 

“Hate to disturb your beauty sleep, but we’ve got a date today. Can you get topside by two?” 

He had to look at the clock on the table, having absolutely zero idea what time it was. It was just now eleven. “What Sector?”

“Six is fine. It’s just a pain in the ass to fly under the plates. Don’t need to give you an anxiety attack on what I assume is your first plane ride.” His tone came with questions, trying to figure out if he’d been correct in his assumptions or not. 

Leslie pushed himself out of bed, heading to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. “My first, yeah. Any particular place I need to go?” 

The grin in Reno’s voice was incredibly evident. “Glad to be your first,” he teased. It was too early for Leslie to even attempt a retort, and the redhead wasn’t here to roll his eyes at him. “I’ll text you an address. It’s a business building, you’ll have clearance to go to the roof. They have a helipad up there, figure it’s easier for you than dropping a ladder.” 

“Two o’clock at the top of a business building. Got it. Anything else?” It wouldn’t take long for him to get topside, the bigger dilemma would be finding the business building. 

Reno chuckled. “If you value your hat, I wouldn’t wear it. It’ll likely get blown off.” 

“Good to know. See you later.” He hung up his phone; if Reno was making comments about his hat, then clearly there was nothing else of importance to discuss. He made up a quick breakfast — lunch? — and did a once over to make sure there was nothing else he needed. 

Once Leslie was confident that he had anything he could need for the foreseeable future, he put his hat in his bag, and grabbed his gun. Checking to make sure the safety was on, he slipped it in the hidden holster, resting his shirt over it. Since he was going topside, he grabbed a jacket (different than the one he used to wear) and pulled it on to conceal the gun further. 

He made use of the channels under the Sector so he could get to a place more suited for his method to get topside. The grappling guns were powerful. Once he aimed where it needed and pressed the button to release the hook, it all but pulled him up the majority of the way. He only had to climb up a few more feet and pull himself over the ledge. The whole thing didn’t take much time at all. Looking at his phone, he saw that it was 1:30. As promised, Reno had already sent him the address, also including an app that would assist him with finding it. 

Copying the address to the meeting point, his phone picked up where he was and started guiding him on how to find it. It was handy and made things much easier than wandering around with a map trying to figure out where to go.

The building was large and had Shinra’s insignia on the front. It felt weird walking inside, feeling incredibly out of place. Especially amongst all the people wandering around in immaculate suits. He was underdressed, in his usual attire of black pants, white shirt, and a plain black jacket. He tried to shake off his discomfort as he approached the front desk. 

Before he even got a chance to say why he was there, the worker at the desk gave him a look of recognition. “You must be Mr Kyle, here for Mr Reno?” He asked, seeming pleasant enough. He’d reminded him of the receptionists at the Honeybee. 

“Uh. Yeah, that’s me.” He was expecting to have to explain himself, and even then dealing with them verifying it. This was much easier. He supposed the fact he stuck out helped. He hadn’t been told to dress up. 

He typed a few things on his computer and took a small badge from a machine, offering it to him. “Here is your pass to get up to the helipad, sir. The elevators are just off to the right,” he said and motioned back to where they were. “Just scan the barcode, and press the button for the roof.” 

Leslie took the badge, looking it over. It was simple, and likely one a one-time use. “Thanks.” Things worked so differently here at Shinra than it did in Wall Market. He was out of his element and admittedly felt a bit uncomfortable without any authority. He’d gotten comfortable in being known and respected, or at least feared, in Wall Market. 

The man nodded, his smile still pleasant. “Is there anything else I can do for you today, sir?” 

“No, thanks.” He followed along to where he’d been directed and found the elevators pretty easily. It was a short wait once he pressed the button to call one, and he stepped in, finding the elevator empty. Just as he’d been instructed, he scanned the pass’s barcode where he saw the red light and hit the button at the top of the selection labelled “R”, presumably for “roof.” 

Checking his phone again for the time, he saw that he was on time, nearly two. He hadn’t heard from Reno since he’d confirmed that he received the address, and he tried to push aside the irrational anxiety. He was likely setting things up, and would now be flying over to get him. Reno was a pain in the ass, but he was a man of his word. 

The set of anxieties changed once the doors to the elevator opened, leading him out onto the roof, the helicopter already there and waiting. He saw Reno in the pilot's seat, lounging while he waited. The movement must have caught his attention, because he glanced over and smirked, slipping from the copter. 

“Hey!” He called, meeting Leslie halfway. “Glad to see you made it okay.”

He wouldn’t admit that he was nervous, and that seeing all this made it all the more real. He didn’t know if he had a fear of heights, but he was at least sensing a fear of the unknown. This was all very new to him, and he was entirely out of his element. “No issues. Everything has been very… efficient.”

Reno grinned. “Big change from down in the slums, huh?” At Leslie’s nod, he chuckled and guided him over to the helicopter. “You’re in my world now, baby.” He opened a compartment with another bag already in it, and Leslie didn’t need to be told this was a place for his bag.

He tossed it inside, running his fingers through his hair. “We good to go, then?”

“Yep, c’mon.” It was easy to see just how comfortable Reno was around the large plane, climbing in and led him up to the front two seats. “Don’t worry, you’ll be sitting in the co-pilot seat, but you just get to sit there and look cute. I’ll take care of everything.” 

Leslie sat where he was motioned to sit, taking in all the different gages, switches, and buttons. He wouldn’t even begin to know where to start and wondered how only one person could fly this all. 

“Don’t look so stressed out, I’ve been doing this for years, no worries,” Reno attempted to comfort him, leaning over to strap Leslie into the more complicated safety belts. 

He took a calming breath, nodding, trying to put his trust in Reno. “Just don’t get us killed, yeah?” 

He snickered and grabbed a pair of headphones. “We’ll be fine.” He offered Leslie the headphones. “Once I turn this bird on, it’s gonna get loud. Since you’re not used to it, you’ll want to use these.” 

He pulled them on, finding this was also another time where it was better that he didn’t wear his hat. They wouldn’t have been particularly comfortable over it. He adjusted the mic on the headphones to be in a better spot. 

Reno sat down in the other seat, getting everything set up and pulled on his own pair of headphones. “Been forever since I’ve worn these. Rude and I are so used to the noise that we don’t need them.” It wasn’t surprising information. “‘Bout to get loud,” he warned and started flicking different switches. 

As promised, the engine roared to life and the blades on top started spinning. They could see the gust the blades were making. He just sat back and watched while Reno checked all the gages. 

He glanced over to Leslie, eyes practically shining with his pleasure and excitement. “Ready to go?” His voice came in through the headphones, and he understood the need for them. There was no way he’d be able to hear his voice over the sounds the helicopter made. 

“As ready as I’m gonna be,” he admitted. There was no point in pretending to be calm about it, knowing Reno had seen the anxiety in him as soon as he got onto the roof. 

Reno just chuckled and reached over to squeeze his shoulder briefly, before dropping his hand to a bar at his side. “Starting take off,” he warned and pulled up on the bar. The plane slowly began to lift off the pad, and they made their way higher into the sky. It remained steady though, and the entire take-off felt smooth. Leslie didn’t know what was standard, but it did feel like Reno knew what he was doing.

It seemed to take a few minutes for them to get to the altitude they would be staying at until they needed to land. When Reno relaxed further, keeping one hand loosely on the control in front of him – that Leslie guessed was to actually control the direction – he assumed take-off was officially done. “How’re you doing over there?” Reno asked, glancing over at him. 

“Adjusting,” he answered simply. It was a bit easier now that they were level, and it nearly felt like they were on a train or something. Apart from the fact they could see all of Midgar below them. 

“Get comfortable. It’ll take us a little over an hour to get there.” Pulling the headphones off, he let them rest on his shoulders. The microphone stayed near his mouth so Leslie would still be able to hear him through his own headset. 

He nodded and looked out. Now that he was getting used to everything, it was actually pretty nice to see Midgar from this level. It looked less chaotic, the worries of the people down there vanished for the moment. The slums weren’t easy to see though, which probably added to the false narrative of peace. 

Now that they were in the air and on the way, one of his concerns from his restless night returned. “Hey, Reno?”

The Turk glanced over at him, brow raised. “Sup?”

“The whole reason you thought it was a chance for Don to be in Wutai was because of the issues with Shinra… how are we going to deal with that, given you work  _ for _ Shinra?” Their mission would rapidly grow in difficulty if they also had to avoid the people who lived there. 

Reno chuckled. “Nothin’ to worry about. Guess you didn’t notice the lack of Shinra’s insignia on the ‘copter. We’re going discreet. It’s seen as kinda a vacation spot, so they’re not unused to strangers coming and going. If we ask questions about Don, we just gotta be discreet.” Effective and efficient, just as most things seemed to be with Shinra. They thought of everything. “Any other concerns?”

For the moment, the only concerns were ones that it wouldn’t do good to dwell on— what if Corneo wasn’t there? What if he was and heard people were looking for him, so he decided to go underground? There were still the concerns about Shinra going back on their word and killing him themselves, but he tried to push that one away. “Not right now.”

“Good… In that case, wanna fly?” He grinned.

Leslie’s eyes widened at that offer, and he looked at Reno like he’d completely lost his mind. Reno was well aware that this was his first time in a helicopter, so he was definitely in no way fit to fly it. “Are you insane?”

He laughed loudly at that. “Probably. But I’m serious. We’re cruising, pointed in the direction we need to go on. Just put your hands on the cyclic. I’ve got everything else.”

It wasn’t hard to deduce that the cyclic he was talking about was the control Reno had kept his hand on the whole time. He eyed him, both trying to figure out if he was serious, and if he could trust him. Or himself. 

“Don’t worry, I promised to get us there alive. I got my hand on it too, it’s not going anywhere,” he assured him, his smile bright and eyes shining. 

Tentatively, Leslie reached in front of him to put his hand on the control. It was steady for the moment but still came with a lot of power. It was anxiety-inducing, yet also somehow relaxed him. Maybe it was because it gave him a sense of control that he’d been missing since he got topside. 

“Hold tight, and just keep it steady, I’m going to let go.” Despite the look Leslie gave him, he started to loosen his grip and slowly removed his hand, holding it up. “You’re flying the ‘copter, Les.” 

Just like it had been when he first put his hand on, it came with the same conflicting feelings. It just gave him more anxiety since he was fully in control now. “I don’t know how you do this all the time,” he muttered.

Reno laughed again. “You get used to it. It’s second nature,” he answered, and put his hand back on the cyclic. You’re doing just fine,” he winked. 

“Just don’t expect me to actually turn us anywhere,” Leslie said, making sure Reno had a firm hold of it before he let it go again. 

“Next time,” he teased. 

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Leslie commented.

Reno only smiled in response. 

The ride to Wutai came with no issues, and Reno seemed better behaved, as well as more at ease. It was clear that he was comfortable in the sky, behind the controls of the helicopter. As he got better adjusted, Leslie could understand why. Being up in the air was peaceful, and they could look out over the areas they usually never saw. At least, areas Leslie never saw. Every now and then Reno would point out a location, or explain what they were flying over. Had the ride been longer, it was a likely possibility that Leslie would have fallen asleep. At the beginning of the trip, he didn’t understand how anyone could get used to hearing the sounds of the helicopter, but after an hour, he was figuring it out. He wasn’t ready to take off his headphones just yet, but noises fell into the background. 

Reno gave him a heads up when their trip was coming to an end, “gonna be landing here soon.” He went back into work mode, checking a variety of things and started to direct the helicopter to a landing spot. It didn’t seem like it was a helipad, just an open area. The lack of an official place to land didn’t seem to bother Reno in the slightest, setting the plane down so gently that Leslie hadn’t fully realised they were back on the ground until his pilot shut the engine off. 

“Now that we’re here, what’s the plan?” Leslie asked while they unbuckled their belts, and got off the aircraft. 

Reno went to open the storage compartment, grabbing his bag. “Now, we play the part of two people on a vacation. We have a hotel room in the city. So that’s our first stop.” Once Leslie got his bag as well, he closed the compartment, locked up the copter, and started to lead the way towards the city. 

Leslie knew they needed to take their time, and couldn’t walk in asking questions. This wasn’t Midgar, or any kind of Shira territory. No one could know who they were with, or it would cause them heaps of problems. “You’re the professional here…” he murmured. It was also a reminder to himself. No matter how bouncy, how sarcastic, how young Reno could act at times, he was still a Turk, and good at his job; a job he took seriously. 

“Exactly. So don’t stress that pretty little head of yours,” he said, patting his back. 

Leslie let Reno lead the way. The hotel that had been arranged for them was nicer than he was expecting. It was beautiful and traditional. A perfect place for people to go if they wanted a vacation, and thus a good cover for them. Reno was smooth in his lies while they checked in, and no one seemed to suspect a thing. The only thing that was strange was the way that the receptionist would glance between the two boys every now and then. She tried to be discreet, she just failed. 

They got their key and made their way down the hall. “I think the receptionist was checking you out or something,” Leslie commented.

Reno snickered, unlocking their door one they found the room. “Nah. She thinks we’re fucking.” His tone was so matter-of-fact, and without the slightest sign that he was joking. 

It was a good thing that he didn’t have any kind of drink, or he would have choked. “What!?” He couldn’t tell if he was being serious, or if he was just putting his acting to work.

He shrugged. “Two young, attractive guys coming to Wutai alone together? Nice hotel, one room? Can’t say I blame her for thinking it.” 

Setting his bag aside, he put a hand on his hip, looking at the redhead. “Is that the cover story we’re going with?” It’s something he felt he should have been warned about, if that was the case. Or given the option to reject the idea.

He chuckled. “As much fun as it sounds, no, that wasn’t the initial plan. ‘Course, plans can be changed, if you’re interested.” He wiggled his brows, bumping their shoulders together again. It didn’t seem to strike as much pain in him as the first time he did it a few days ago. Looking at him, he was healing nicely, and hopefully the wounds which remained wouldn’t bring questions. 

Leslie wasn’t even sure how to answer that. Reno was a flirt, that much had been made plenty clear. He’d probably have no problem playing the part, but Leslie wasn’t sure how much he himself was comfortable with. Still… maybe it’d come in handy. He sighed. “Only if it becomes a need,” he finally answered. 

He looked a bit surprised at first, before he just smirked. “Got it.” 

Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the room, looking around. There was no point in unpacking, with not knowing how long they’d be there. They did try and make themselves comfortable, taking out anything that would be used frequently, and adjusted the room to their liking. 

“We should go grab a bite. We can scope out the town too,” Reno suggested once they seemed to reach a limit of what they could do. 

Food sounded good. His brunch had been small and simple, and it was already feeling like a long day. Maybe travelling had that effect. “Lead the way.” 

The two headed out, making it as far as the lobby before Reno paused. Leslie stopped when he did, glancing over at him.

“Forgot something in the room, I’ll be right back.” Before Leslie could even process what was happening, Reno leaned over and gave him a brief, albeit lingering kiss. Reno disappeared around the hall while Leslie stood there in shock, only blinking, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. 


	5. Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys start looking for any leads on where to find Corneo.

Leslie knew they’d agreed to play the part if it came to it, but there didn’t seem to be any dire situation. Had Reno noticed something he hadn’t? Or did he just want an excuse to do something shocking? He tried to compose himself while he waited. 

Reno didn’t take long to return and didn’t show any sign that something had happened before he left. He just headed for the door, leaving Leslie to follow him. 

“Want to explain what that was?” Leslie asked when they got outside, dropping his volume despite being away from most people.

His shrug was innocent. “You said if it was a need. People were already thinking it, so now they have “confirmation.” Plus, nothing makes people more uncomfortable than PDA. It’ll keep eyes from lingering too much.” 

Leslie had no idea if it was the genuine reason or not. He was too good at lying to know. Still, he couldn’t question it. He just sighed. “Little warning would have been nice.”

He smirked a bit. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” 

_ Next time? _ Nope, he wasn’t going to feed into Reno’s attempts to get a rise out of him. He just let out a long breath and followed him into a nearby restaurant. 

The food in Wutai was probably better than anything he’d had before. Maybe Leslie just wasn’t used to food that didn’t come from the slums, but he’d never had any complaints about it before. It was still good, this was just  _ better _ . He understood why people would want to come for vacation. Even being in Wutai on a mission, he still felt more relaxed than he did back in Wall Market. He also found it surprising how natural it felt to be around Reno now. Yes, the man still gave him a headache, and there were times when he had to resist smacking him upside the head or something, but he wasn’t itching to get away from him. It was just the way their dynamic worked. His mind tried to linger back to what happened in the lobby, but each time it tried, he shut it down immediately. He didn’t need to dwell on it. It happened, and it was over. 

“Wonderful lunch accomplished, what’s say we go explore the town for a bit? Get a lay of the land?” Reno suggested, stretching out. 

It seemed like it’d be best to know their way around, figure out places to start, and maybe they’d overhear something. The don wasn’t a man that travelled much, even around a small sector, so he was likely hiding out in some fancy house or hotel. “Fine with me.” 

Shifting, Reno pulled out a card from his jacket, toying with it between two fingers. “Even undercover cards.” It wasn’t surprising that Shinra was funding everything on this trip, it was technically a mission for them. Leslie was essentially acting as a contract employee for them.   
Once their meal was paid for, they set out to get a better layout of the town, understand what there was to offer, and try to figure out any places they could potentially find information on Corneo. It was very much the type of place where he’d come; in a way, Wutai was like a nicer version of Wall Market. This city just had laws. Any place would be an adjustment for the man who was used to being in charge and calling the shots, but this may be the closest he’d get to the life he knew. The fact it was an enemy of Shinra, and likely made him think they wouldn’t be able to come there would be a big selling factor as well. Leslie was starting to feel better about the decision to come and was less worried about it being a dead end. 

“Ya know, maybe we should keep up with our pseudo image,” Reno commented after a few minutes of them walking, mostly in silence. 

Leslie looked over at him, lifting his brows, prompting him to elaborate.

“Everyone here is under the impression that we’re here as a couple on vacation… and we–” Reno paused at the look he was given, “– I already encouraged it. It can work in our favour, ‘means people pay less attention to us?” He held his hand out for Leslie, wiggling his fingers, eyes practically glowing. 

He stared at him for a moment. Apparently the kiss in the lobby wasn’t enough, they’d have to encourage it. He had no idea how much was genuine, and how much was Reno just toying around. Either way, he sighed and reached over to take his hand. Reno beamed, interlacing their fingers. They’d both removed their gloves, figuring they’d look out of place, so it was full skin-to-skin contact. Leslie tried to ignore how warm and comforting it felt. 

The city wasn’t a large one and had nothing on Midgar. It was still more comforting for the both of them to have a better understanding of their surroundings though, and they had more places to look into the following day. It was difficult for Leslie to remain patient and take his time in getting information, but he knew this was the safer option. He just had to take a few calming breaths, and try to relax. The better they planned and the less they rushed meant a bigger likelihood that their mission would be successful. 

When the sun began to set, they headed back to the hotel for the night. Planning could be done there in the privacy of their room, being sure that no one overheard. They both tossed their jackets aside, and Leslie took his gun holster off, hiding it from sight for when the staff came in to bring dinner. For now, the two of them were able to lounge and get comfortable, something Reno had no reservations about. Still, he was calmer when he was in work mode. 

The two spent the better part of a few hours discussing and planning. Places they had seen in the city to check, how to ask questions without raising suspicion, and getting their faux story straight. The better things were put together, the less likely they were to run into any snags. 

Leslie was in no rush to return to Wall Market, all he had waiting for him was another adventure of trying to find someone who absolutely did not want to be found. His leads on Merle were far less than what he had on Corneo – that was to say, he had absolutely  _ nothing _ on her whereabouts. She could be anywhere on the planet… anywhere except Wall Market, and that was only one place to check off out of many.

Did she stay in the slums of one of the other sectors? Figure out a way to get a job topside? There was also the option that she left Midgar entirely, knowing well enough that Don had sent men on missions to other sectors before. 

Part of him wanted to hold out hope that once Don Corneo was dead, the news would spread like wildfire, and maybe she’d return to Wall Market to try and find him. Tifa had said she thought the necklace was a sign they’d reunite eventually. For the moment, his focus needed to be on his current mission, and worry about the rest later. 

They were given a break for dinner, which was brought directly to their room. Somehow, Reno talked Leslie into indulging in some alcohol, insisting that they didn’t have to go overboard, but could still use it to unwind. Truth be told, he hadn’t realised how badly he needed it until he started on his first glass of wine. 

“Guess it’s worked out that I get both my vacation, and also get some work done. Best of both worlds,” Reno said with a happy sigh. 

“Suppose that says something about your work ethic. Or that you’re a workaholic.” He had no room to talk, he spent the majority of his time working, and didn’t have much room for vacations. He’d take the standard two days off a week, primarily so he could sleep in and take time for his mental health; if he dealt with the lackeys 7 days a week, he’d absolutely lose his mind. It prevented him from getting overworked, even though the majority of his job description didn’t include anything overly difficult. Still, being in “work mode” nearly 24/7 took a toll on someone, no matter what their job was. 

He snorted a bit. “I didn’t particularly want to take a vacation in the first place. Rude insisted.” 

He took a sip of his wine and chuckled. “Sorry, I’m gonna side with Rude on this one. You looked like shit when you first got to Wall Market.” 

It was Reno’s turn to be the one to roll his eyes. It wasn’t long until the playful smile returned, though. “Been doing better since you played nurse and patched me up.” 

“Told you, don’t get used to it,” he reminded him, around taking a bite of his dinner.

“You also said that you wouldn’t play nurse in the first place. Haven’t exactly been good on keeping to your word in that regard, sweetheart.” The infuriating, handful side of Reno had clearly returned, his work mode put away. Leslie would blame the whiskey that the redhead was sipping on, but knew it was just his personality. 

“I think it was Rude that needed the vacation from you.” His words held no malice, he couldn’t help but tease him a bit. The wine was also helping him to relax a bit. 

Never one to get offended easily, he just chuckled. “May not be far off there. Careful, he may try to get you to take over every now and then if we go back in one piece.”

A part of Leslie thought that it wouldn't be a bad thing. Was he hyperactive, childish, and prone to induce headaches? Definitely. But there was still something about Reno and his company that he enjoyed. “We’ll see how this goes. If it goes well, maybe I’ll let him.”

Reno beamed at his words, lighting the room up. His eyes were practically glowing in the dim light. “Aww, I’m growing on you.” 

“Like vines on an abandoned house.” He finished off his food and set the dishes aside, turning his attention to sip on his wine more. He even opted to pour himself a second when he finished it. Wine didn’t have a huge effect on him, but it did help calm him down and get him out of his own head. 

It didn’t have any effect on Reno’s good mood. ”Aw, you know you like me.” He shifted more onto his side, leaning closer to Leslie. Turning his blue-green eyes to him, he fluttered his lashes a bit. “It’s okay, I’ll keep it a secret if you want.” 

Leslie took a small, hopefully discreet, breath at the close contact. He turned his attention back to his glass, taking another sip. “Think that went out the window with your public displays while we were out.” They’d been playing a part, but it still meant there was no secret. 

He shifted a bit more, closer, so he could nudge him with his shoulder. “You didn’t seem to mind too much,” he teased. 

Against his better judgement, he glanced back down at Reno. Any retort he had disappeared due to his distraction. The Turk was all by leaning against him, face less than a foot from his own. He could see the details of his brilliant eyes, the flecks of green and blue varying in shades. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that the Turks were exposed to Mako. They looked like they were hand-painted by a skilled artist. 

“You know how earlier you said a little warning woulda been nice?” 

Raising his brow a bit, he nodded. “Yeah?” 

His smirk looked downright devious and full of mischief. “Here's your warning.” It was a short warning, giving him just enough time to shift his weight off his elbow so he could reach up, drawing Leslie closer. There was a brief moment that would’ve allowed him to pull away if he wanted to, but given he opted not to, Reno pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. It wasn’t the brief kiss like it had been in the lobby, this time it lingered.

Leslie took a sharp inhale through his nose, but returned the kiss, leaning in. Even he was surprised by the feelings that came with. It felt like his stomach had been sucked up into his chest or something. The thin hairs along his arm stood on end, body covered in goosebumps. It had been months since he felt like this, even if he didn’t do much (read: any) kissing beyond this. He’d thought earlier was just about the shock, but now he wasn’t so sure. 

He felt Reno’s freehand come up to rest against his neck as there was a bit more pressure put into the kiss. His own hand moved of its own accord, resting against Reno’s waist. His lips tasted like whiskey and he could feel the small cut in the corner that was trying to heal. Leslie had no idea what any of this meant, it certainly wasn’t to keep up with appearances. They were alone and had no ideas as to when they’d be back to make up the beds. All he knew was that he was currently enjoying it. 

It was the need to breathe that caused them to pull away. “Satisfied with that warning?” Reno teased, making no effort to move too far back. 

Leslie’s mind was swimming, and he was almost certain it had nothing to do with the wine. He gave a small nod, trying to process what had happened. 

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. “That’ll be the workers here to change up the room,” he murmured. He gave him a brief kiss, more like the first one, before pulling away and got up to answer the door. 

It took Leslie a moment to regain movement of his body, and once he did, he shifted to get up so that he could stay out of their way. The two were quiet while the workers did their job. The air wasn’t exactly awkward, but it was uncertain and full of questions. They thanked the workers once they finished making up the beds, and shared a glance once they were alone again. It was too early for sleep just yet. “Uh..”

Reno reached up to put a finger to Leslie’s lips. “Shh. Don’t overthink.” Reno seemed to be able to read him well. It was both annoying and endearing. Reaching down, he took his hand, tugging him gently over to where the futons were set up. 

Leslie eyed him a bit, trying to figure out where he was going with all this. He enjoyed the kiss, but he also wasn’t prepared to sleep with him, in the less-than-innocent meaning. He wasn’t intending to be a toy, especially since there was still work to be done and they had a few days left together, at the very least. 

“Don’t give me that look, I figure it’s more comfortable than standing in the doorway. I’m not going to try to seduce you,” Reno said, not even needing words to know what he was thinking. He shifted to sit on one of the futons, patting the one next to him. 

Despite the annoyance that he could read him as well as he could, it did give him some comfort to know that Reno wouldn’t be trying to remove clothes or anything. He grabbed his glass, and went to sit next to him. 

The redhead stole the glass after Leslie took a drink, sipping it himself. It was reminiciate of when he’d tried to steal his coffee. Setting the glass in a safe location, he leaned over. “Need another warning?” he whispered. 

Leslie glared at him. “Just shut up and kiss me.” 


	6. Long term Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno expresses some concerns about the plan.

A large majority of the rest of the night was spent with their lips locked and roaming hands. As promised, Reno made no attempts to take it any further than making out, and neither did Leslie. The kissing was plenty for the moment, and that feeling alone was overwhelming and confusing. Leslie had little to no memory of how they actually decided to get some sleep, but it likely had something to do with the fact they had more work to be done in the morning. 

He yawned and his body slowly worked its way into waking up better. The futons were comfortable, and he was aware of heat pressed up against his back, an arm around his waist. They hadn’t had enough to drink for a hangover to be present, thankfully. There was just a decision to be made on whether or not he should try to get up yet. The only thing that could be heard in the room was both of their breathing. Based on the sound of Reno’s, he sounded like he was still sleeping, peacefully at that. Leslie was too comfortable to make any attempts to get up for the moment, just leaning back into the embrace and kept his eyes closed. 

The feeling was foreign, usually he’d be the one with his arms wrapped around his company, but his last bed companion had been Merle. He admittedly felt a little guilty for not thinking of her sooner. It wasn’t like he was  _ cheating _ on her, their relationship had been over for six months, and it was entirely possible she had moved on herself. There were no expectations of him being required to wait. He had no idea what this thing with Reno even was. Some fun while they were off and each other’s only company? Or would it be something that they tried to navigate around once their mission was finished? It was entirely possible they’d go back to being acquaintances once their work together was done. In which case, he could go back to finding her, and it would just be something that happened while they were apart. 

If it was something that became more than just a fling… well, he’d have to cross that bridge when they got there. He’d spent months on the cusp of trying to move on, while trying to get revenge for what happened to her and considering the idea that they may find each other again. 

The earlier hope that she’d hear about the don’s death and come back to look for him was enough to twist his stomach this time. If… whatever this was with him and Reno, was still happening and she did come back, he’d have zero idea on how to navigate the situation. 

Leslie felt like he was getting ahead of himself. He didn’t even know if it would continue beyond last night, except to keep up their appearances of pretending to be a couple. Reno was known for being unpredictable. 

It was both a call from Mother Nature and feeling overheated that caused him to finally decide to get up. He tried to be careful, not wanting to wake his company yet since he didn’t have to be up. It had been surprisingly easy to lift the Turk’s arm off him and slip out. He only stirred briefly, and it was mostly to shift to a more comfortable position. Leslie glanced at the clock on his way to the bathroom, seeing they still had half an hour until breakfast would be brought to them. 

After using the restroom, he decided coffee would be needed for the day. He tried to be quiet as he made use of their in-room coffee maker. He had to admit, seeing the redhead passed out and peaceful was cute. And He was less likely to give him a headache in this state.

It wasn’t something that lasted long, and Leslie assumed the stirring was at least partially due to the smell of coffee filling the room. He would’ve made Reno a cup if he had any idea how he took his coffee, but all he had to go on was that he hadn’t complained about stealing a sip from his own. 

“Morning,” he greeted once the other male’s eyes finally opened and he stretched out. 

Turquoise eyes turned to him and gave him a smile. “Morning.” 

“Want coffee?” So far things didn’t feel awkward, but he’d just woken up. 

“Depends, does it come with company?” His teasing smile was interrupted by another yawn, and he stretched his arms out above him.

Leslie felt his cheeks heat up a bit. Apparently it wasn’t something that ended when they went to bed. “If you’d like.” He worked on making his own cup first and poured a second. “How do you take it?” 

“I would like, and three sugars should be fine.” 

Nodding, he added the sugar to the second cup and brought it over, offering it to him. As promised, he sat back down with him. The coffee was a warm welcome and quickly began doing its job at helping wake him. “Sleep well?” 

Reno took his, giving a small thanks as he took a long sip. “Mhm. It was much needed. The company was nice as well.” The flirting apparently started early. “What time is it?” 

Not wanting to seem disinterested, he nodded. “It was nice.” It wasn’t a lie, he had enjoyed it, and it had been extra hard to get out of bed. “Just after eight. Breakfast should be here in about half an hour.” 

“Perfect. Time to wake up, get food, and then get this show on the road.” Reno leaned back, sipping his coffee some more. 

Leslie glanced at where he’d hidden his gun. The sooner he could make use of it, the better. “Let's hope we get some useful intel today.” 

Leaning on one elbow, he set his coffee aside for the moment. “You ever killed anyone before, Les?” It was a blunt and slightly odd question to ask. 

He glanced at the Turk, brow lifted slightly. “Not directly. Close, but never a finishing blow. From what I understand, some of my actions have led to someone’s life ending, though.” Injuries that hadn’t been recovered from, primarily. He did a lot for the don, but it often required fear tactics and roughing people up. He had different people who took out any hitman-esque requests.

“While I may not know the reasons, I know you want this. Just… be prepared that it may be more difficult, or stick with you longer than you anticipate, kay?” It was one of the rare occasions when he was serious, and his eyes were full of concern. 

He appreciated the sentiment of being caring, and it was a nice side of Reno to see. He didn’t feel like discussing the  _ why _ , especially without knowing what was going on between the two of them, and Reno didn’t seem to be fishing for it anyway. “Executing it will be fine. I’ve gotten close before, had the gun to his head and was ready to pull the trigger. The aftermath… I can handle it.” He was desensitized to a  _ lot _ . Way more than he should have been at eighteen, but that was what came from working for Don Corneo. There were murders to clean up and cover-up, he had to deal with knowing what happened to the girls after every audition – both the ones who did and didn’t get picked – and he’d been in a number of fights. He wasn’t a stranger to feeling blood on his hands, and Corneo was someone that needed to be taken out. It was personal, incredibly personal, but there was also a bigger picture at play as well. If he was dead, he couldn’t hurt people anymore. No girls to force, no people killed because they disagreed with him, no more people for him to corrupt. The sacrifice of what little sanity he had left was worth it.

“Well, if I can give you advice, the best thing to do is make sure you’re not alone for a bit after. It just kinda helps, having someone else around to ground you. Also good for them to be able to keep an eye on you.” It wasn’t hard to tell that he was talking from experience, not that Leslie was surprised. Reno was a Turk, he’d likely killed a number of people directly and indirectly. 

It was admittedly a bit strange hearing and seeing this side of Reno. He was usually the Turk who thrived in his job and did it well. He’d admitted to not approving of the plate drop mission, but this was showing true humanity. He cared about his actions, and the effects it had. “I appreciate the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.” The list of people in his life was incredibly short, but perhaps if it affected him more than he thought it would, he’d request the company of Andrea for a few days. He wasn’t putting any weight into the idea that this thing with Reno would last beyond the trip. Better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed. 

“Good, glad to hear it. Now we can put the serious conversations aside because it is far too early for them.” And  _ there _ was the Reno he knew. 

Still, he chuckled a bit and sipped his coffee. “Don’t worry, you’ll get food in you soon enough.” 

“You already know me so well,” he teased and leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to Leslie’s cheek. 

Despite the previous night spent making out, he still flushed a bit at the affection. “You’re not particularly hard to read and understand.” Reno was pretty much an open book, at least on superficial stuff. There were likely a lot of things he didn’t know, such as the guilt he felt, but the simple things were easy. 

“Quiet and mysterious is more Rude’s thing. I think I’m interesting enough to not need it. Haven’t gotten proven wrong so far.” Well it may be early, but his ego was definitely out to play. 

“At least it means anyone who’s getting involved with you knows what they’re signing up for.” There would be no surprises about the childish way he pouted, his bratty attitude, or the frequent swear words that fell from his lips. 

Reno’s lips parted in faux shock, bright eyes wide. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’m a joy to be around!” 

He gave a small snort. “That depends on your mood.” Sometimes he was easier to handle, easier to be around. When they were flying was a good example. But other times, he was a handful, a child, and a brat. 

“‘Think it also depends on yours, sweetheart.” 

There was a knock on the door that interrupted their conversation. They both got up to stay out of the way, Leslie going to let the workers in. The food smelled amazing, and if they weren’t hungry before, the smell would do it. 

The two sat down to eat, more focused on the food than any kind of conversation. Neither of them minded, though, the silence wasn’t awkward. Just as the previous night had been, the food was better than anything had ever had. He was curious as to if this was normal for being topside; he so rarely had a need to go up, nor much interest. Why would he? In Wall Market he wasn’t bothered, and held a lot of authority, whereas topside he’d just be seen as a slums rat. The surprising point was that Reno didn’t seem to be bothered by where he came from, at least he never gave off the impression that he saw Leslie different from anyone else. A dark thought crossed his mind, wondering if the Turk was manipulating him into helping them get Corneo, but it was a thought he pushed aside almost immediately. He’d already agreed and gave no resistance. He’d flirted back in Wall Market, but things hadn’t actually happened until they got to Wutai, when Leslie was fully in with assisting. 

He reminded himself that it had been Wall Market Reno chose for vacation. Not some fancy place topside, not a city outside of Midgar, but Wall Market. If that’s where he chose to spend his vacation, especially a vacation he didn’t particularly want, then it said to him that Reno didn’t see it as anything beneath him. 

“You’re lookin’ all pensive and stuff over there, Les.” Reno’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. 

Leslie shrugged it off. “Just thinking about what needs to be done today.” It was a lie, but a smooth one. After spending half a year lying to the man that was meant to be his boss, and anyone else that worked under Don, it came naturally to him by now. The last thing he wanted to do was admit that his mind had unwilling gone to a place of thinking Reno was manipulating him. 

“Ain’t getting cold feet, are ya? Didn’t mean to freak you out earlier, I just wanted to warn you.” He even looked mildly concerned, not for their mission, but for Leslie. He was apparently full of surprises. 

He shook his head. “No, definitely not. I’d be fine if we found him today, but I’m not sure how lucky we’ll be.” He may not have minded Reno’s company, but he was still ready to be done with everything and know that Don Corneo wasn’t out there anymore. 

Reno set his plate aside once he finished with breakfast. “If you do get cold feet, it’s alright. I’ll finish ‘em off, and it can stay between me and you. Not that I think the others would care anyway. Final shot was your request, not theirs.” 

“Something I intend to follow through with.” Leslie set his dishes aside as well and got up. “We should get ready to go.” He knew Reno meant well, and he wasn’t upset with him, he just preferred to work on getting it done instead of sitting there talking about it. 

Reno didn’t make any complaints, just getting up and worked on getting ready. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short, slightly fillery chapter, but I thought it was an important conversation to have. Hope you guys enjoy.


	7. Confusion.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are a few things going on in Wutai that has Leslie confused.

Trying to figure out information on someone when you couldn’t let them know who you were working with was a bit difficult. They’d considered saying he was a relative, but going around and asking so many people about it was suspicious. So they played the part of tourists, going in and out of shops, cafes, and restaurants. Their tactics varied from asking if they got many strange people, or would describe Don as being someone they knew back home, and hoped someone would perk and say there was someone there that matched the same description. 

So far, there was no such luck. 

Leslie was starting to wonder if they were wrong and he wasn’t there. If Corneo wasn’t in Wutai, then where else would he be? They had no leads, even Wutai was grasping at straws. It did seem like the perfect place for him, able to live in luxury, believing he was safe from Shinra, and no one to know who he was. It was hard not to get discouraged, despite Reno’s attempts to keep him hopeful and lift his spirits. “We should head back to the hotel for the day,” he murmured as things started closing and most people retreated to their homes. 

Reno nodded, leading them back that way. “We’re not done yet. Still got places to go tomorrow to check. Don’t go getting all blue on me yet.” 

“It just… this place seems so perfect. The exact type of location he’d need, but there’s  _ no _ sign he’s actually here.” It hadn’t been long since he left Wall Market, not long enough for him to make meaningful relationships and have people cover for him. This wasn’t the slums, either, these people would be much harder to buy off. 

“It’s only the first day of asking around, and we have to be careful about how we ask. It means it’ll slow us down a bit,” he reminded Leslie. “If I could pull rank and threaten, it may be a bit faster, but we’re not trying to start a whole war. Besides, even if I could pull rank, it’d be likely to become town gossip, and he’d know a you-know-what was looking for it.” Reno at least had the sense not to say  _ Turk _ or  _ Shinra _ while they were outside the hotel room. They were mostly alone, anyone who was around remained out of ear-shot, but it was better to be safe. It could blow everything if anyone discovered what Reno was. 

Taking in a long breath, he slowly let it out, trying to calm his buzzing nerves. The two went into the hotel, and up to their room. “I feel like I could use a long nap,” he mumbled. It was too late for a nap. It may end up being an early night, but there was still dinner to be had first.

“That would be from the stress, my dear pretty boy. Want coffee?” He seemed to be genuinely trying to help him feel better. 

Leslie shook his head. “Too late for coffee, and too late for a nap. I’ll be okay.” Going over to the couch, he laid down, putting an arm over his eyes. Part of him wondered if he was getting sick, but he was pretty sure Reno was right – it was just stress. 

There was a brief pause of silence as they settled in for the moment. “Hey, can I ask you something?” Reno asked at random.

He moved his arm just enough to glance over at him. “What is it?”

“You’ve been loyal to Corneo for a while now. What’s got you so ready to put a bullet in his head, and insist that you be the one that pulls the trigger?” His head was tilted like a curious dog, but his tone was cautious. He likely knew he was entering dangerous territory. 

Leslie bit his lip, trying to decide how much to tell him. It would feel even weirder telling him about Merle, given the fact, there was something happening between them. How could he explain that he was engaged half a year ago and that his murder mission had to do with avenging her after they’d spent the day cuddled up and sharing kisses? Sure, a lot of them were for show, but after the previous night, he was pretty sure they were also more. “It’s just… some personal issues. Some stuff he did, that I don’t even think he realised due to his ego. I’m not particularly in a good place to give a lot of details.” He wanted to give some information, and also be gentle about saying he didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want Reno to feel like he needed to be apologetic for asking, it was a perfectionally rational and reasonable question (something he may have joked about if he was in a better mood.) 

To his surprise, Reno handled the response well, just giving a nod. It seemed like it was almost the response he was expecting. “Well, if you do need to talk about stuff, I’m here. No pressure or anythin’, though.”

He gave him a small smile. “Thanks.” While he was secretly amused by the times where Reno could be a handful, he also enjoyed seeing the calmer side. He could have a big heart when he wanted to, and it wasn’t something he expected of a Turk. Especially not Reno. He may have been the bouncier, louder Turk compared to the others, but that was what made it seem like he’d just brush off serious topics. He wasn’t as flippant as most people would expect. At least it seemed like not about certain topics. 

“Got room for company over there?” The brief serious mood seemed to be dying out, which came of great relief to Leslie. 

“I feel like no matter what my answer is, you’ll still attempt.” Still, he tried to shift over a bit, not that it would provide much room. Thin as they were, they were still two grown adults. 

“‘Cause you’re learning how I work, pretty boy.” Reno came over and did his best to fit on the couch with him. It was a tight fit, but the two weren’t overly bothered with cuddling up together. 

Leslie had to admit that it was nice, having the company. Especially with the mood, he was in. He was aware of the science behind it but was also pretty sure it had to do in part with  _ who _ the company was. It likely wasn’t something he should be thinking and should try to brush away thoughts like that. A talk about what was going on between them probably wouldn’t come until after their mission was done. If it lasted even that long. He felt a tap on the top of his head and glanced over at Reno, pale brow lifting in question.

“Stop that,” the Turk scolded him gently.

“Stop what?” 

Reno gave him a look. “You’re overthinking and getting lost in your own head again. Which likely isn’t about anything good.” 

He wasn’t exactly wrong. “Can’t help it. My mind likes to wander off without consulting me first.” It was likely due to the long hours of working with Don where he may just be standing around or waiting for things to happen. 

“Yeah, I get it. Comes with my ADHD.” Leslie couldn’t be surprised to hear he had something like ADHD. “Distractions help, sometimes.” His words were innocent enough, but his smile was the opposite.

“I suppose you have a distraction in mind?” He didn’t need to be a mind reader to take a guess at where Reno’s mind was at, especially with their close proximity. 

His grin widened. “Mmhmm.” Without any explanation, not that one was needed, he leaned over to press their lips together. 

Was making out a good idea to use as a distraction after his mind had been so consumed by Merle? Probably not. But he did a lot of things that were questionable, and he did need something to take his mind off it for a bit. So he gave in, shifting carefully to a position that would make it more comfortable.

It was a miracle that no clothes had tried to come off, but Leslie assumed it was Reno keeping his promise not to try and seduce him. Sex  _ wasn’t _ something he was planning on having until he understood more what was going on between them. If it was casual and brief, it was better to know that beforehand. He also needed to know if it was something more. But that was a conversation he wasn’t prepared to bring up until they were done and ready to leave. 

They broke apart when the knock for their food came. The time spent with his mind on nothing more than kissing had helped, and he felt slightly less exhausted. Food was used as another way to make him feel better, and the ill-feeling was getting pushed aside. 

Even with feeling better, they opted not to stay awake too late, and once their beds were made up, sleep came quickly. 

When Leslie woke in the morning, one thing he noticed was the lack of heat around him. They’d fallen asleep tangled up together, yet there wasn’t any feeling of company. Reno didn’t seem like the type to willingly get out of bed when he didn’t have to, especially when there was still company. Maybe he was in the bathroom or something…

He yawned and rubbed his eyes, glancing at the clock. Just after eight, like the previous morning. Ugh, there would be no going back to sleep. He had to push himself up and stretched out in attempts to wake his body up and get the blood flowing. It was red hair that caught his attention, still peacefully asleep but curled up away from him. It felt strange, but he tried not to read too much into it; perhaps Reno got too warm, or got up and didn’t want to risk waking him. Sometimes people moved in their sleep without knowing, too.

Leslie shook it off and pushed himself up. Too early for deep thoughts, and not nearly enough coffee. Another yawn took him over as he walked to the coffee maker, getting it ready and waited as it did its job. It seemed the smell of coffee was a sure-fire way to wake Reno up, which meant he wouldn’t have to attempt to do it by hand. 

The Turk shifted, yawned, and stretched, but kept his eyes closed for the moment. Leslie wasn’t sure if he decided to try to get more sleep or not. He was able to pour his own cup before Reno either gave up going back to sleep or talked himself into waking up. He opened his eyes, rolled onto his back, and propped up on his elbows. 

“Morning,” Leslie greeted, pouring a second cup and made it as he liked it, having paid attention the previous day. 

He was met with a groan, and Reno flopped back on the bed. “Too early,” he moaned. 

He chuckled and took both cups, sitting next to him. He’d give Reno enough space until he figured out whether the lack of cuddling meant something or not. He’d had no trouble requesting more cuddles and company after Leslie had gotten out of bed the previous day. “Here, this’ll help,” he said, offering him the mug.

With a long sigh, Reno sat up fully and took the mug. “Why can’t the world wait to start at like… noon or somethin’?” 

“I’m sure you’d adjust and then that would begin to feel early.” He took a long sip of his coffee, letting it warm him and wake him. 

“Probably not wrong.” He blew at the coffee, trying to cool it enough to drink it. He followed suit of Leslie’s longer drinks, clearly needing the caffeine just as much.

He set his coffee aside and tried to fix what he assumed would be a mess of silver hair. “Breakfast, and then checking out those places we didn’t get to yesterday?” 

“Mmhmm. That’s the plan.”

They didn’t have to wait long for breakfast, and it didn’t go unnoticed that Reno wasn’t in an affectionate mood. There was teasing, but not quite flirtatious, and there’d been no kissing, lingering touches, or attempts to cuddle. Leslie didn’t want to attempt to initiate anything and make it awkward if his attempts were rejected. He was starting to believe his earlier feelings of this being brief, and that Reno had grown bored. It was possible he’d grown impatient and hoped Leslie would be willing to do more at a quicker rate than he was. He did consider the idea he just wasn’t in the mood for affection at that moment, chalking it up to being tired, but it didn’t feel like that was it. It felt like Reno was pulling away.

It stung more than he was willing to admit, but it was better that he knew now rather than later. 

Their questionable relationship (or lack thereof) was put aside for work. He could not be focusing on his personal life right now. As they went down to the lobby, there was a noticeable commotion. He saw fear in the eyes of the travellers and locals alike. “What did we miss?” he whispered to Reno as they walked. 

He shrugged. “No idea. Ain’t looking at us, so not like they figured out what we’re here for,” he whispered back. Rumors going around that Shinra was in town wasn’t even something he considered. 

Leslie decided to go over to the front desk. “What happened?” he asked, his curiosity and concern not needing to be faked. 

“The leader’s daughter was kidnapped last night. She never went home,” the receptionist told him in a hushed tone. 

He rose a brow. “Is he sure she didn’t just stay with a friend or something?”

She shook her head. “She’s a troublemaker, but always goes home.” 

He glanced over at Reno, who had followed him over. An auburn brow lifted slightly, and its question didn’t need words;  _ was it Don _ ? 

Leslie turned back to the receptionist. “What’s she look like? Just, you know, in case we see her while we’re out.” 

She thought for a moment. “She’s sixteen and you can tell by her size. She has short brown-black hair, and she’s petite.” She paused while she thought. “She’s usually in a crop top and shorts.”

Reno’s eyes were still on him and he gave a small nod. She fit Don’s type. 


	8. Tell me I'm wrong.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno and Leslie get a lead and put it to the test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, guys. Writer's block sucks.

They didn’t even need to try and secretly ask questions about what happened or where. The Wutai officials put out a statement about what they knew and where she was last seen. A lot of the town was trying to help look for her, so it was fitting into place for them. Leslie just knew a bit more about Corneo than the rest of the townspeople. If it wasn’t so dangerous for the people of Wutai to know they were working with Shinra, Leslie would have offered up the information. But they had to continue to pretend to be tourists. 

“We’ll have to wait a little bit for the place she was last seen to clear out,” Reno commented. Everyone would be looking around that area for clues, and they didn’t need to be overheard. 

Leslie glanced at him, raising a brow. “Do you have another place you suggest to start?” 

He leaned back against the hotel. They’d stepped outside, but kept away from others. “I was actually hoping you would,” he said. “You knew Corneo better than anyone.”  
He had to think about it. It was more difficult this time since the don had to be discreet. Wall Market had been _his_ town, he said what was okay and what wasn’t. There was also the fact it was lawless, no one questioned when someone went missing. Wutai wasn’t his playground, and he wasn’t running the show. The fact Leslie didn’t know Wutai as well was hurting them too. “Is there a map of the town or anything?” he asked. 

Reno’s face was thoughtful. He pulled out his phone, sending a message. “I’ll see if I can get one.” 

They lingered around the town, discreetly looking for any clues or listening out for any more updates until HQ sent over what they had. 

“Here’s all we know,” Reno said, showing him the information on his phone.

Leslie took it, looking over it. Some of it didn’t seem like public knowledge and he didn’t want to think about how they obtained it. “Hmm… There’s a club here we missed. It seems like it’s a little more underground, not something they’d tell tourists about,” he said, considering it.

“Can’t hurt to check it out,” he said. 

They had to wait for nightfall to go to the club. One downside to going out of the room for an extended period of time was pretending that they were together. They’d established a story that they were meant to stick with, no matter what changed behind closed doors. Leslie didn’t know how he’d feel about it, and he was even less sure how Reno would feel about it; it’d been the redhead to call things off (albeit nonverbally), so he couldn’t imagine it’d be comfortable for him to fake it. Leslie brushed it off. Reno had been the one to start it in the first place. 

The two of them were both used to underground clubs and understood the attire. Once it felt late enough, they left the hotel and made their way to the club. Shinra’s intel gave them enough information to find it and how to get in. It seemed that so long as they knew where to go, that was all that was needed. The town was only just starting to calm down, so once they were around more people, Reno reached over, interlacing their fingers. 

Leslie focused on pushing off the feelings that came with it, knowing it was strictly for show. 

“Looks like this is the place,” Reno commented as they got to a quieter part of the town, seeing an unassuming door. Most people would likely think it belonged to a warehouse, but this wasn’t the area for a warehouse. 

Leslie took the initiative to go up, pressing an ear to the door. He heard quiet muffled sounds from the other side, the heavy door blocking out the majority of it. He nodded to his companion, opening the door – which was a feat all in its own. Once he accomplished pulling the door open, they got further confirmation that it was the place. There was no bouncer at the front, just opening up to a space of tables. He leaned over to Reno, speaking directly into his ear so he’d be heard above the noise; “should we get some kind of drink to blend in?” 

Reno glanced over at him and nodded. “A beer or something, so we can keep our wits about us,” he said. 

“A beer is fine.” They didn’t need to draw attention when they wanted to be overlooked. While a soda could be mistaken for a number of mixed drinks, the bartender and anyone near them would know they weren’t drinking. Leslie spent enough time in Wall Market to know that someone coming into a secret club and not drinking would raise suspicions. 

Reno ordered a beer for them both, handing one to Leslie. “Should we sit for now? See what we can see?” he suggested. 

Leslie nodded and grabbed his hand, guiding him to a table out of the way. He’d given them space, but that lasted all of two seconds before Reno tugged him over. 

“PDA makes people uncomfortable, remember?” he murmured in his ear. “Keep an eye out for anyone you recognise.” 

He sipped on his beer, subtly scanning the bar, the other couples sitting, and the dancers. No one caught his interest, no one he recognised or any signs of Corneo’s insignia, but he couldn’t see everyone. “See anything that catches your eye?” he asked Reno. 

Reno shook his head. “Guess you don’t either?” 

Leslie simply answered with a shake of the head.

Finishing off his beer, Reno got up, offering Leslie a hand, “c’mon, let’s dance.” At the questioning look, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek, using the time to whisper, “it’ll give us a better vantage point.” 

He nodded and took his hand, getting up, following Reno onto the dance floor. If the Turk was uncomfortable with their fake relationship, he hid it well. There seemed to be no reservation about pulling Leslie close, their chests pressed up together as they began to shift a bit to the music. Leslie tried to ignore their position and looked at the people around them. It was his peripheral that made him notice that Reno seemed to be more focused on him for the moment. While he didn’t know the signs of someone working for Corneo as well as Leslie did, he figured he’d at least try to keep the focus away from how close they were. 

Leslie decided to test a theory; if it backfired, he could blame it on keeping up appearances. 

He shifted to lean their foreheads together, their faces only a few inches apart. 

Reno’s eyes glanced down to meet Leslie’s, watching him, but didn’t comment. 

There was something in the turquoise eyes that told him his theory was right. Reno’s gaze wasn’t one of confusion, discomfort, and it’d be pointless to fake the look he was getting. No one around them would know if he didn’t. “This isn’t entirely just for show, is it?” he murmured. Was it smart to call Reno out while they were working? Probably not. But he didn’t know if he’d get another chance. 

His brow rose at Leslie. “What do you mean?”

He couldn’t tell if he was playing dumb or genuinely unsure. “You were all over me for days, and then stopped until you had to be.. But it seems like there’s still a part of you that wants this all to be genuine,” he stated.

“Leslie.. I don’t know if this is a great time..”

“If I’m wrong, tell me, and I’ll drop it.” If he was wrong, they could pretend that it never happened, and it could be a verbal end of whatever happened between them. But if he wasn’t wrong... 

Reno bit his lip, glancing off. It took a few moments for him to reply. “You’re not,” he murmured, just barely loud enough for Leslie to hear over the music.

“Then we can figure out the rest later,” he said, resting a hand on his cheek, kissing him softly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys wanna scream with me, I found someone had made fan art of Leslie and Reno. As far as I know, it's nothing related to this story, but it still gave me all sorts of butterflies. I just love my boys so much.  
> https://kelinworks.tumblr.com/post/635614547279052800/love

**Author's Note:**

> My current idea is to post once a week. I already have 6 chapters done, and I'm writing daily. I have no idea what day they'll go up (Ao3, give me the ability to schedule, please.)   
> Kudos make my day, comments make my week.


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